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TRY OUT A DAY PLANNER
You’re going to have a lot of deadlines, so it would be wise to invest in a planner where you can write down important due dates. This will help you stay on track and not miss any important deadlines. A planner will also help you organize your time better because you can write down everything that needs to get done on one day and then decide what should get done first based on how long each assignment takes or when they are due.
It will also give you a visual of your week and see how busy it is so you can plan accordingly!
MAKE A WEEKLY SCRAPBOOK
This is one of my favorite tips, and it’s also a great way to make sure you stay organized.
You don’t need to go out and buy a scrapbook if you don’t want to! I’ve done this hack with different materials, like a notebook or binder. Basically, take out pieces of paper (or the pages from your planner or calendar) that contain important information for the week. Then glue them into your scrapbook! It’s like an extra backup system for things you know you’re going to need in the future. This could be anything from exam dates, project due dates, club meeting times, etc.. It’s an easy way to keep track of what’s going on throughout the semester!
USE STICKY NOTES
Sticky notes are a great way to write down important things that you need to remember. I use them to write down important dates or information. They are really helpful because they take up less space than a regular piece of paper and they can be stuck on basically anything – your wall, mirror, desk, laptop…! They’re also super cheap and you can find them at basically any store (target, walmart, etc.).
CREATE A SYSTEM FOR YOUR NOTES
In college, you’re bound to be taking notes constantly. Between classes, meetings, and tutoring sessions, your hands are going to be full of writing utensils and paper. Make sure your work is organized by keeping a system of notebooks for each class. I have a separate notebook for each class that I take notes in during lecture so I don’t have to waste time trying to find my notes for my midterm next week or my research paper that’s due tomorrow morning. Also make sure you set up a OneNote account because it makes life so much easier when everything is organized in one place!
I am also known as the girl who carries around multiple colored sticky notes with her wherever she goes! Sometimes I need to write down something really quick like a phone number or an email address but there isn’t enough time to get out my laptop or open up the Notes app on my phone. Sticky notes are convenient and easy to use at any moment but they can be lost easily if you don’t organize them right away. My advice would be to write the date on top of your sticky note so you know when you wrote it because then it will remind you where it came from once you do decide what file cabinet drawer it’s going into 😉
ORGANIZE YOUR PHONE SETTINGS BY MOST USED APPS FIRST
This is a great way to keep your phone organized and give it a clean look. You can customize the organization of your home screen based on what you use most. Put the most used apps on your home screen, and the least used apps in folders. Give these folders names that organize them by category, so they’re easy to find when you need them (like “social,” “utilities,” etc.) The fewer icons on your home screen, the more organized it will be. This will also make it easier for you to find any apps that might be hiding behind others. There’s also no reason for you to keep apps that are just taking up space in your phone if you don’t use them!
UTILIZE THE ICLOUD TO KEEP TRACK OF IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
The cloud has been a huge help to me! I tend to use it to save all of my important documents (such as syllabi and assignments) in one place so that I do not lose track of them. This is expecially helpful when an assignment is due and you have no idea where it was saved. When I use different computers, such as those at the library or my friend’s house, I can easily access the cloud and find the files that I am looking for. Another way in which I use the cloud is by saving pictures and videos from my phone so that they are not taking up space on my phone but also not being lost in a complicated filing system on my computer. The cloud also makes it easy for me to share certain photos that are stored there with other people, so long as I give them access!
PURGE YOUR EMAIL INBOX DAILY
If you keep a clean inbox, you will always know exactly where to find things when you need them. I constantly check my email for new messages and delete the unimportant ones so that I don’t have to search through thousands of emails later.
I also take out important documents from my inbox and put them in folders on my computer. For example, if I need a form that someone sent me, but don’t need it right now, I will transfer it to a folder on my computer so that it doesn’t clutter up my inbox.
Keeping your email organized is one of the best college organization hacks because you won’t have to worry about losing an important document again!
MAKE AN ORGANIZED DESKTOP ON YOUR COMPUTER
This is one of the best hacks I’ve ever learned. It is one of those tips that seems minor but adds up to make a huge impact! When you open your computer, the first thing you see is your desktop, so why not make it pretty?! You will be surprised by how much less stressful school (or anything else with lots of documents on your computer) will feel when you are organized.
To get started, categorize all of your files by file type, then put each category in its own folder. Inside each main folder, create sub folders to organize each document even more! For example, if you have an Essay 1 Word Document and Essay 2 Word Document in the same folder, name them something like “Essays – Essay 1” and “Essays – Essay 2” so that they are listed chronologically within the same folder. You can also organize by class or whatever works for you!
Once everything is organized into categories and sub categories, make sure every file has a very specific name so you know exactly what it is without opening it. Give as much detail as possible without making the title too long. This way when it comes time to find something later on, or delete something from a few months ago because you don’t need it anymore, finding what you need will be super simple!
UPLOAD NOTEBOOK PAGES FROM EACH CLASS TO ONE DRIVE AND USE THEM FOR REVIEWS BEFORE BIG TESTS OR TO REORGANIZE DURING THE SEMESTER
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NETWORK BY GOING TO SOCIAL EVENTS AND MEETING PEOPLE YOU DON’T KNOW USUALLY BECAUSE THE MORE FRIENDS YOU HAVE THE MORE YOU WILL ENJOY COLLEGE LIFE AND MAKE MORE FRIENDS
I think that one of the most important things of having a good college experience is making new friends and meeting people you would usually never meet. And it’s so easy to do! If you keep an open mind and invite other people to your social events, you will automatically make friends.
One of the easiest ways for me to make new friends was through social events at my college. I try to attend as many as possible, because I love meeting new people who enjoy the same things as I do. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sporting event or an art show or a movie night—if they’re inviting students like me, then I’m going!
I’ve learned a lot of tips and tricks to become organized and I wanted to share with you some that have worked wonders for me
I would be lying if I said that it was easy to become organized. In fact, getting organized is one of the most difficult things you will have to do. But once you get a hang of it, you will be able to get so much more done and feel so much better about yourself!
To help you out, I’ve listed ten tips and tricks below that have helped me along the way: